Reflection is a good way to assess how you are progressing against your goals in your career, and life in general. A useful reference point to see how you are doing is to think back to what you were like as a senior in high school.

What would the 18 year old version of you think if they met todays version of you?

That age is a great checkpoint to go back to for many reasons. It is the beginning of adulthood, going from being a child living at home with your parents to striking out on life on your own. At that age, we are probably at the peak of our optimism and idealism because we haven’t been beaten down by all the mundane and other parts of life that we have to do to pay for a roof over our head and a meal on the table. We have seen enough of the world to sense what we really like to do, but you haven’t had to make the sacrifices yet to do what you have to do instead. We are still very tied to the values of our parents and others that grounded us growing up. If fortunate, we were probably thinking about what we want to study in college instead of struggling to find a full-time job right away.

Think about what you wanted your life to look like when you were 18. Maybe you can even pull out your old yearbook and see if you made any such statements to yourself. Pick a regular interval (e.g., New Year’s Day) and ask yourself this question. The answer will give you insight into where your true passions may lie. Since a key to happiness at work is to find something you love to do, getting an insight into the passions of an 18 year old you may help you understand what the you of today really loves to do.